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Analyzing each upcoming Dallas Stars free-agent situation: Who is on the fence?
The Dallas Stars will have a few off-season decisions to make this summer.
Although general manager Jim Nill has already taken care of many key players' contracts, there are a few that are set to become free agents in July.
Ty Dellandrea and Riley Damiani will become restricted free agents, while Evgenii Dadonov, Max Domi, Joel Kiviranta, Joel Hanley, and Luke Glendening are set to hit the unrestricted free agent market. Of those players, there are some that will return, some that could go either way, and a few that will likely test out the market.
In this second article, the previous being Dallas Stars players that will return, we will analyze the two key free agents whose futures remain on the fence.
2 Dallas Stars free agents on the fence
#1. Joel Kiviranta
Joel Kiviranta's time in Dallas has been a bit confusing. After playing in 11 regular-season games during his first season in 2019-20, Kiviranta served as an extra skater through most of the first two rounds of the playoffs.
But when Andrew Cogliano was ruled out of Game 7 in the second round against the Colorado Avalanche, Kiviranta got his first shot at NHL playoff hockey. The result? Kiviranta tallied his first, second, and third career playoff goals, recording a hat trick that included the overtime game-winner to send Dallas to the Western Conference Final. He became the only rookie in NHL history to do so.
Kiviranta added two more goals in the Dallas Stars' run to the Final. Since then, however, Kiviranta has played a completely different role.
In the three seasons since his playoff success, Kiviranta has recorded just six, one, and eight goals respectively. His 27 points over 152 games have been a letdown, but the winger has served as an excellent two-way player in the bottom six.
For Kiviranta to return, Dallas will need to feel that he can provide plenty more than a young player. With how stacked the Stars' prospect system is, that seems unlikely.
#2. Riley Damiani
Riley Damiani has not yet made his footprint on the NHL.
After finishing as the AHL Rookie of the Year in 2021, Damiani finally got his shot, making his NHL debut the following season. In seven games, Damiani tallied one goal and one assist. He has not been back to the big leagues since.
In the two full AHL seasons since COVID, Damiani has performed well, nothing more. Tallying 67 points in 114 games (.58) over two seasons is nowhere near the point-per-game pace of his rookie season, leading to zero call-ups to the Dallas Stars in 2022-23.
Damiani has a lot of upside and would likely be easily signed for near the league minimum. But do the Stars have true faith that the 2018 pick can become an NHL regular? Of that, I am not so sure.
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